Western Australia's First Settlement

In 1791, an expedition lead by George Vancouver claimed 'New Holland' (as Western Australia was then known) as a British possession and named Albany's natural harbour, King George III Sound, after the reigning monarch.

After Vancouver's visit, several expeditions were made to the area by the French, including D'Entrecasteaux, Baudin, Freycinet and Dumont D'Urville. The British also made further voyages to investigate this new land. Some of the most notable were made by Charles Darwin aboard the Beagle and Matthew Flinders on the Investigator.

The interest being shown by the French spurred the British Government to establish a settlement on their new claim at King George III Sound. This decision was also in part driven by growing dissatisfaction with the convict settlement at Port Macquarie in New South Wales.

Under the command of Major Edmund Lockyer a settlement party left Sydney in November 1826 aboard the Brig Amity. The settlement party consisted of 23 convicts (mostly tradesman), 18 soldiers, a sergeant, a captain, a surgeon, a storekeeper and stores for six months (including sheep and pigs). The Brig Amity reached Princess Royal Harbour on Christmas Day 1826.

Commander Lockyer named the new settlement site on King George Sound, Frederickstown after His Royal Highness the Duke of York and Albany, the second son of King George III. This was the site of the first European settlement in Western Australia.

Little development was undertaken in the new settlement until 1834 when a number of new settlers began to create agricultural and pastoral holdings. These new settlers saw the population rise from approximately 40 to 170. The number of houses also grew dramatically from three to 45.

In 1831, Governor Stirling visited and changed the settlement's name from Frederickstown to Albany. Exploration of the surrounding areas continued throughout this time with new areas being identified.

The inland areas around Mount Barker were first explored in 1829 by Dr Thomas Braidwood Wilson who was a surgeon for the Royal Navy. He named the hill overlooking the future townsite Mount Barker after Captain Collet Barker, the commandant at King George Sound, who had provided the provisions for the expedition.

Several years later on the strength of the glowing report made by Wilson on the area, Sir Richard Spencer purchased land for grazing sheep. Other settlers soon followed and the township began in 1860 with the establishment of the Bush Inn which served as a rest point between Albany and Perth.

In 1890 a rail link was opened between Perth and Albany which further increased the population of the district. Between 1920 and the 1960's apples became the main agricultural produce of the area which continued to thrive.

Just a few years after the Mount Barker area was first settled Alfred Hillman discovered what would later become the Kojonup district (1837). Hillman had been sent by Governor Stirling to mark a trail between the Frederickstown (Albany) and the Swan River colony. Local aborigines guided him to a fresh water spring and the resulting favorable report saw a military outpost being developed. This outpost was for the protection of travellers. By 1845 this outpost had grown to support a military barracks, which was built on the site of the freshwater spring. Captain Symers was the first land holder in Kojonup in 1840 which began the area's long association with farming.

The Denmark area was also explored by Thomas Braidwood Wilson in 1829 and he named the local river (called 'Kurrabup' by the indigenous people) in honour of his friend, English naval surgeon Dr Alexander Denmark. Unlike Mount Barker, settlement didn't really establish here until the timber industry began in 1894. Lasting only a decade the timber industry left behind only a few hardy pioneers who relied on agriculture. The years after World War II saw a short revival in the timber industry which rejuvenated the district.

The year 1909 saw a settlement at Nornalup made by Pierre Bellanger and his family. They traveled from Albany on board the Grace Darling and took up 4,000 acres of land. The Bellangers had visited Nornalup while holidaying in Albany. They landed at the mouth of the Nornalup Inlet and then travelled up the river by small boat with all of their possessions and building materials for their shelter. The family lived in two huts and tents until their homestead was completed in 1914. In the 1920's they opened their home as a guesthouse and played host to many influential people of the time. Part of their 4,000 acres was resumed for the Nornalup National Park in 1910.

The 1930's saw the development of the Nornalup Land Settlement Scheme which relocated city families affected by the Great Depression and opened up the area for agriculture. The resulting township was gazetted Nornalup in 1933 but this was changed to Walpole a year later.